The Shāh Mosque (; ), also known as the Soltāni Mosque () meaning "royal", renamed the Imam Mosque () after the 1979

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

, is a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

in the northern section of the Grand Bazaar in the city of

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

, in the province of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. The mosque was added to the

Iran National Heritage List Iran National Heritage List is a register of nationally significant monuments, places, buildings, events, etc., officially registered under the National Heritage Preservation Act of 1930. According to Article 1 of this law, "All the industrial mon ...

on 23 September 1984, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran.

Structure

The mosque was built by the order of

Fath-Ali Shah Qajar Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (; 5 August 1772 – 24 October 1834) was the second Shah of Qajar Iran. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death on 24 October 1834. His reign saw the irrevocable ceding of Iran's northern territories in the Caucasus, com ...

as one of several such symbols of legitimacy for the new

Qajar dynasty The Qajar family (; 1789–1925) was an Iranian royal family founded by Mohammad Khan (), a member of the Qoyunlu clan of the Turkoman-descended Qajar tribe. The dynasty's effective rule in Iran ended in 1925 when Iran's '' Majlis'', conven ...

. At the time of its completion, the mosque was considered to be the most significant architectural monument in Tehran. The mosque was designed by Ali-Akhbar Isfahani. During the reign of

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (; ; 17 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. During his rule there was internal pressure from the people of Iran, as well as external ...

, the two current minarets were added to the structure. The mosque is topped by a small gilded

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

. The mosque also has two Shabestans. The courtyard is accessed from several parts of the Grand Bazaar. There are some significant architectural similarities between the Shāh Mosque, the Vakil Mosque in

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

, and the Soltāni Mosque in

Borujerd Borujerd (; ) is a city in the Central District (Borujerd County), Central District of Borujerd County, Lorestan province, Lorestan province in western Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Borujerd is also known as ( ...

. The Shāh Mosque in Tehran is recognized to be one of the most gorgeous creations of the Persian empire in the Islamic era. Built during the Qajar era under the ruler Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, the mosque serves as a symbol of excellence in the Islamic era. The mosque is detailed with 18 million bricks and 475,000 tiles.

Notable events

On 11 December 1905, the vāli of Tehran ordered the public

flogging Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed ...

of 17 prominent merchants of the bazaar in the main courtyard of the Shāh Mosque, blaming them for the increase in the price of sugar. The

public humiliation Public humiliation or public shaming is a form of punishment whose main feature is dishonoring or disgracing a person, usually an offender or a prisoner, especially in a public place. It was regularly used as a form of judicially sanctioned puni ...

of the merchants was condemned by the

Bazaari Bazaari ( Persian: بازاری) is the merchant class and workers of bazaars, the traditional marketplaces of Iran. Bazaari are involved in "petty trade of a traditional, or nearly traditional, kind, centered on the bazaar and its Islamic cultur ...

s and in protest, the Grand Bazaar shut its doors. A public backlash against the government in a series of related incidents ignited the

Persian Constitutional Revolution The Persian Constitutional Revolution (, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911 during the Qajar Iran, Qajar era. The revolution led to the establishment of a Majl ...

. On 7 March 1951, Haj Ali Razmara, anti-communist

Prime Minister of Iran The prime minister of Iran was a political post that had existed in Iran (Persia) during much of the 20th century. It began in 1906 during the Qajar dynasty and into the start of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1923 and into the 1979 Iranian Revolution ...

, was attending the memorial service for

Ayatollah Ayatollah (, ; ; ) is an Title of honor, honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy. It came into widespread usage in the 20th century. Originally used as a title bestowed by popular/clerical acclaim for a small number of the most di ...

Feyz at the Shāh Mosque. On his way to the mosque, he was shot dead in the mosque's grand courtyard by Khalil Tahmasebi, who was described by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' as a " religious fanatic". According to the

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

, Tahmasebi was a member of the

Shiite Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

activist group " Fedaʾeyān-e Eslām (Persian: 'Self-Sacrificers of Islam'), an extremist religious organization with close ties to the traditional merchant class and the clergy." In 1952, Tahmasebi was freed and pardoned by the Iranian Parliament during the premiership of

Mohammad Mosaddegh Mohammad Mosaddegh (, ; 16 June 1882 – 5 March 1967) was an Iranian politician, author, and lawyer who served as the 30th Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, elected by the 1950 Iranian legislative election, 16th Majlis. He was a membe ...

, and he was declared a Soldier of Islam. Following the

1953 Iranian coup d'état The 1953 Iranian coup d'état, known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup d'état (), was the overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh on 19 August 1953. Led by the Iranian army and supported by the United States and the United Kingdom, the co ...

, Tahmasebi was re-arrested and tried; he was executed in 1955.

Gallery

Mezquita Shah, Teherán, Irán, 2016-09-17, DD 49-51 HDR.jpg, Dome interior Mezquita Shah, Teherán, Irán, 2016-09-17, DD 52.jpg, Courtyard Shah mosque tehran.jpg, Shah mosque of isfahan.jpg, Mosque-Shah-(Imam)-Tehran.jpg, alt=Minaret,

Minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

s of the mosque Shah Mosque (5448777193).jpg, Shah Mosque, by sipo, licensed under CC BY 2.0

Notes

References

External links